Columbus, OH — B HopeThree (show name Mr. B) won the USTA Roadster Off-Track Series Championship on Thursday evening (Oct. 3) with trainer Jon Walker driving. The Championship was held at the Smoky Mountain Equine Fest held at the Walters State Great Smoky Mountains Expo Center in White Pine, Tenn.
The 8-year-old gelded son of B Strike Three out of the Mr Lavec mare Hope Seelster, only earned $2,700 on the track, but is starting to turn heads in the show ring.

“Jon showed me this horse this past spring. We looked at him, my wife looked at him one time and said if you ever want to get back in this business, he’s the one, buy him,” said owner Richard Harris. “We brought him along slowly; we take him to shows and he gets better every chance. Every time he goes out, he gets a little better, so it makes it worth the gamble.”
The next stop on Mr. B’s schedule will either be Ocala or Kansas City for the Standardbred Roadster 100.
“I cannot thank Jon Walker enough for everything he’s done,” continued Harris. “Letting me take a chance on this horse and him bringing him along, he’s done a fantastic job.”
Overandovervictory, with Duncan Huyler driving, was second while Gabe The Bear Dean (Mark Catron) was third.
The winner received a trophy and Bowman BioThane Fine Show Harness from the USTA and $2,500 in prize money from Trotter-Standardbred Roadster Foundation, a 501(c)3 based in South Carolina. All finalists will receive a leather halter from the USTA.
The 2024 show season was the inaugural year for the USTA Roadster Off-Track Series, which was created to encourage the Roadster discipline as a viable second career opportunity for Standardbreds bred for racing purposes.
More information about Standardbred Roadster classes sponsored by the USTA is available here.
More information about Trotter–Standardbred Roadster Foundation can be found on their website.
For more information about Roadsters, rules and regulations, visit the American Road Horse & Pony Association website.
Since 1996, the Standardbred Equine Program has worked with owners of off-the-track Standardbreds to educate the general public about the many disciplines Standardbreds excel at once they are retired from racing. For more information about the SEP at the USTA, visit LifeAfterRacing.ustrotting.com.